Kid Rock Says Senate Run Was a Joke: ‘Who Couldn’t Figure That Out?’

There will be no Senator Kid Rock in 2018. The singer not only revealed that his "campaign" was a joke, but during a Tuesday morning (Oct. 24) interview with Howard Stern, he also mocked anyone who believed in it.

After emphatically telling Stern he is not running, Rock expressed disbelief that it was still an open topic. “Who couldn’t figure that out,” he asked on Stern’s SirusXM show. “I’m releasing a new album. I’m going on tour too. Are you f—king sh——ng me?”

Rock (real name Robert James Ritchie) later admitted that even those in his inner circle had begun to take his Senate run seriously, but he set them straight, adding, "but let’s roll with it for awhile."

Rock's rumored run for Michigan Senate began to pick up steam in July, when he set up a Kid Rock for Senate website and began speaking on political issues. Sheryl Crow and Ted Nugent both had opinions on if their friend was, or should, run for political office. During September concerts in Michigan, the "Tennessee Mountain Top" singer included a several-minute long stump speech that allowed him to express his views on a variety of topics and hint that Senate was only the beginning of his political career.

Also on Tuesday Kid Rock announced his next studio album and tour dates. His Greatest Show on Earth Tour will begin on Jan. 19 in Nashville and his Sweet Southern Sugar album will drop on Nov. 3.